Ram
Ram 2500 years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017, 2018 and 2022. Best years: 2023.
The 2017, 2018 and 2022 Ram 2500 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 696 complaints (70 for each year on the road), 2018 has 2,594 complaints (288 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 181 complaints (36 for each year on the road), against a median of 23 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is brake wear (2335 reports).
- 4,735complaints
- 55recall campaigns
- 10model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: brake wear (513 reports, median 49,000 miles) and driver assist (68 reports, median 42,000 miles).
2018
Most reported: brake wear (2335 reports, median 44,000 miles) and driver assist (289 reports, median 39,125 miles).
2022
Most reported: brake wear (22 reports) and infotainment (19 reports).
Best years
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2018 alone holds 2,594 of the 4,735 complaints across the 10 model years with a page here (55%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Brake wear leads in 7 of the 10 model years and has the most reports overall, 2,998. Pooled across the years, half of the 1,084 owners who gave a mileage for brake wear were under about 44,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 3% of Ram 2500 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2021, 14 of its 108 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 6 of the 10 model years where owners report brake wear have a recall on the same system: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2023 at 1,303 and have dropped every year since, to 529 in 2025. So far in 2026, 547 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Fourth generation (DS/DJ Heavy Duty)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 304 | 23 | 16 | Suspension noise, struts or alignment (35) | 43,500 |
| 2015 | 214 | 18 | 15 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (20) | 40,000 |
| 2016 | 258 | 23 | 14 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (35) | 27,022 |
| 2017 avoid | 696 | 70 | 12 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (513) | 45,390 |
| 2018 avoid | 2,594 | 288 | 10 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (2335) | 42,200 |
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fifth generation (DT Heavy Duty)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 193 | 24 | 12 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (28) | 10,043 |
| 2020 | 162 | 23 | 10 | Diesel fuel system or injector problems (30) | 18,946 |
| 2021 | 108 | 18 | 8 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (10) | 30,000 |
| 2022 avoid | 181 | 36 | 12 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (22) | 19,970 |
| 2026 | 25 | new | 7 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (13) | 1,486 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2023 (49), 2024 (59), 2025 (62).
Year by year
2026 Ram 2500
25 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: brake wear (13 reports). 7 recalls, including 26V-531 on the backup camera and 26V-288 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2022 Ram 2500 avoid
181 owner complaints, 36 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (22 reports), infotainment (19 reports) and stalling (14 reports). 9 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 22V-140 on the brakes and 25V-765 on the airbags.
2021 Ram 2500
108 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (10 reports). 6 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 22V-140 on the brakes and 25V-765 on the airbags.
2020 Ram 2500
162 owner complaints, 23 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: diesel fuel system (30 reports, median 48,000 miles), stalling (23 reports) and fuel pump (18 reports, median 24,000 miles). 5 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 21V-880 on the fuel system and 25V-010 on the airbags.
2019 Ram 2500
193 owner complaints, 24 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (28 reports, median 6,200 miles), diesel fuel system (22 reports, median 48,807 miles) and fuel pump (17 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 21V-880 on the fuel system and 20V-043 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2018 Ram 2500 avoid
2,594 owner complaints, 288 for each year on the road (12.3 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (2335 reports, median 44,000 miles), driver assist (289 reports, median 39,125 miles) and infotainment (92 reports, median 29,000 miles). 38 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 24V-896 on the brakes and 25V-592 on the airbags.
2017 Ram 2500 avoid
696 owner complaints, 70 for each year on the road (3.0 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (513 reports, median 49,000 miles), driver assist (68 reports, median 42,000 miles) and stalling (22 reports, median 37,000 miles). 12 reports involved a crash and 10 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 24V-896 on the brakes and 25V-010 on the airbags.
2016 Ram 2500
258 owner complaints, 23 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (35 reports, median 50,000 miles), stalling (20 reports, median 24,000 miles) and suspension (12 reports). 15 reports involved a crash and 10 people were hurt. 14 recalls, including 25V-010 on the airbags and 21V-632 on the airbags.
2015 Ram 2500
214 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (20 reports, median 51,585 miles), wheels (20 reports, median 28,000 miles) and airbag (11 reports). 13 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 15 recalls, including 21V-632 on the airbags and 19V-347 on the latches and locks.
2014 Ram 2500
304 owner complaints, 23 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: suspension (35 reports, median 42,000 miles), brake wear (20 reports, median 32,000 miles) and stalling (17 reports, median 49,294 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 16 recalls, including 19V-347 on the latches and locks and 19V-021 on the steering system.
Recalls that cover several model years
The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.
The outboard steering linkage jam nut may loosen, allowing one end of the drag link to separate.
Chrysler is also recalling all 2013-2014 and 2018 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks built before April 1, 2018 with a 6 or 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate.
Improper installation and machining of the original equipment steering knuckle may weaken the joint between the steering drag link and knuckle.
These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging.
A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf.
Compare the 2500 with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- 2500 vs Ford F-250 Super Duty2014 to 2022
- 2500 vs Chevrolet Silverado 25002015 to 2020
Questions
What Ram 2500 years should you avoid?
The 2017, 2018 and 2022 Ram 2500 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 696 complaints (70 for each year on the road), 2018 has 2,594 complaints (288 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 181 complaints (36 for each year on the road), against a median of 23 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is brake wear (2335 reports).
What are the best years for the Ram 2500?
The 2023 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 49, or 12 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Ram 2500?
Brake wear, with 2,998 reports across the 10 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2026.
How many recalls does the Ram 2500 have?
55 recall campaigns cover the Ram 2500 model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 17V-824 on the equipment, covers 5 model years.
How many Ram 2500 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
3% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2021 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for brake wear on the Ram 2500?
On 6 of the 10 model years where owners report it: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.